The polarization of Boulder politics is evident, one could argue, in the fact that the most prominent citizen organizations all have endorsed one of two candidate slates generally reflective of opposing views on growth and development.

But Ed Byrne, who is one of four candidates left off those two common slates, believes Boulder voters should look to him for a centrist view that he partially characterizes as a blend of two outgoing council members: Matt Appelbaum and Andrew Shoemaker.

"Matt has a feel for the culture and institutional knowledge for Boulder that comes from being there, as I have been since 1981, actively involved," Byrne said. "Andrew brought legal acumen and planning wisdom, and as an assistant city attorney, and, since then, as an attorney representing individual homeowners, I have that background, as well."

In one seat, he said, he can shore up what he calls the "significant loss of skill and important voices" that Appelbaum and Shoemaker possess.

"Fiscal accountability" is a pillar of his platform. The number of earmarked funds in the city budget limits the council's ability to nimbly address problems, he argues.

He says the fact that the council is asking voters to approve a tax that would pay for critical updates to fire-department infrastructure, instead of finding a way to pay for it in the budget, is indicative of poor prioritization.

Byrne ran for council in 2013, placing seventh out of 11 candidates, despite vast experience in local government. Along with his service as an assistant city attorney in the 1980s, he's chaired the Boulder Valley Comprehensive Plan Review Committee twice, served on task forces related to U.S. 36 and regional transportation, co-chaired the North Boulder Subcommunity Plan committee, and served for 17 years on the Downtown Boulder Partnership's board.

"It was an unusual election in 2013," he said, speculating on the reasons for his defeat, "in part because Xcel picked a fight that brought 4,000 college students into a City Council race for the first time.

"But I think that Boulder should and must continue to evolve, and that we have to find ways to crowdsource our wisdom with new outreach techniques that begin with council members who are approachable and have well-established relationships with a diverse mix of community members."

Municipalization is on the ballot again this year, with the City Council asking voters to approve three measures, including one that would continue providing tax funding for Boulder's effort to divorce incumbent electric provider Xcel Energy and form a city-run utility.

He's voted for municipalization in the past, but won't this time.

"I'm in favor of Boulder having a local municipal utility, but we're fighting in a legal and regulatory minefield that has made it very difficult to demonstrate progress, and I think voters are understandably frustrated," he said.

"I think Boulder could be Xcel's best partner, instead of a potential enemy."

On housing, Byrne said the issue of affordability is "certainly a problem Boulder cannot solve itself."

"The mistakes we've made in restricting residential development in Boulder have spilled out into the region as unintended consequences that harm us as much as any," he said.

"But since it was our decisions that led to the exodus, we should be sharing the mistakes we've made and working with some humility with these neighboring communities to address these issues."

If elected, he'd like to make use of sub-community planning to locate "opportunity sites," based on neighborhood input, to clear the way for various potential community benefits, including housing.

That process may reveal, he said, that structures 55 feet tall — the city's building-height limit — are warranted in certain spots. He thinks tall buildings have potential east of Foothills Parkway.

Byrne also supports a regional sales tax to take action on projects related to countywide issues, such as housing, transportation and open space.

Transportation, he said, is as regional an issue as any. More than 50,000 people commute into Boulder daily, and Byrne thinks that the city should be doing more to change behaviors of commuters as they enter Boulder. He wants to explore the possibility of using Uber, Lyft and, eventually, self-driving vehicles to accommodate last-mile transit needs.

The current council has spoken harshly of late about the efforts — or lack thereof, according to some members — made by other communities in the county to address homelessness and affordable housing. Byrne said he feels that the council should have "approached with more humility."

Regarding public participation in Boulder government, he said, the process is "broken."

"Families, minorities, working people all have difficulty involving themselves in the current city process," he said. "We can't limit the input we receive to make decisions to the people who are in the room. It's critical that every council member account for the missing DNA for the people in the community who aren't at the microphone."

In addition to his professed interest in broader constituent outreach, Byrne, who has experience in the field of mediation, hopes he can be a particular benefit in the way of peace-making on a council that's often presided over contentious matters.

"I think I'm right in the middle of the middle," he said. "The truth lies somewhere in between."

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